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Association of Children's Museums (ACM) is an international not-for-profit professional service organization representing and advocating for the children's museum field. ACM's mission is to build the capacity of children's museums to serve as town squares for children and families where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Currently, ACM serves more than 500 museums, businesses and individuals.
Questions?
Contact: Victoria Garvin
Program Officer, Membership
Phone: 703.224.3100 x101
Fax: 703.224.3099

Membership Categories

 

Museum Members Museum Member Benefits
ACM is committed to helping all museums meet the needs of children and family visitors. Members can access the latest trends and best practices to meet their institutions’ programmatic and museum management needs. ACM welcomes all types of museums as institutional members. ACM's dues for open museums are based on the museum's operating income for the most recently completed fiscal year.
Category Description, if applicable Cost of Membership New Rates
Effective 1/1/2012
Open Museum

Level 1: annual income under $250K

$330
$345
Open Museum Level 2: annual income under $500K
$660
$695
Open Museum

Level 3: annual income under $1 million

$880
$925
Open Museum Level 4: annual income under $3 million
$1,210
$1,270
Open Museum

Level 5: annual income under $5 million

$1,430
$1,500
Open Museum Level 6: annual income more than $5 million
$1,760
$1,850
Sponsor Museum

 

$2,200
$2,310
International Museum Open museums in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, Middle East, North America (non-U.S.) and South America
$600
$630
Emerging Museum Museums in the development process, not yet open to the public
$330
$345
Affiliate Museum* As of 1/1/13: Affiliate Museum members that wish to participate in the ACM Reciprocal Program must pay Open Museum dues at the appropriate level. Affiliate Members will be ineligible to participate in the Reciprocal Program.
$880
$925
ACM Reciprocal Program Open Museum Members in the U.S. and Canada are eligible to participate in the ACM Reciprocal Program. As of 1/1/13, all museum types serving children and families that wish to participate in the program must join as an Open Museum member and pay the appropriate level of dues according to annual income.
$225
$250
*This category includes art, history, science and other museums dedicated to serving children and families.

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Corporate Members Corporate Member Benefits
ACM corporate members represent a diverse range of organizations serving the field and supporting the growth of children’s museums in their communities. ACM membership provides corporate members with marketing exposure to a unique and focused audience.
 
Category
Cost of Membership
New Rates
Effective 1/1/2012
Corporate Leader
$1,100
$1,160
Corporate Supporter
$700
$735

Self-Employed Consultant*

$500
$525
*Independent professionals and owners of one-person businesses.

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Individual Members Individual Member Benefits
ACM offers professional development opportunities, education and serves as a source of the latest news for individual members. ACM has a large base of individual members from various professions who have a shared desire to assist the work of children’s museums and serve the needs of children and families.
 
Category Description Cost of Membership New Rates
Effective 1/1/2012
Museum Professional at an ACM Member Museum* Applicants must be professionals affiliated with a current ACM museum member
$45
$50
Student Applicants must submit valid Student ID
$60
$60
Museum Professional Current staff at a non-member museums
$175
$185
Individual Not affiliated with a museum including emerging and not an individual consultant
$275
$290
Self-employed Consultant Independent professionals and owners of one-person businesses
$500
$525

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Academic / Research Institution Benefits Academic / Research Member Application Academic Member Benefits
Academic and research institutions that train museum professionals or conduct research about child development, play and informal learning have an opportunity to connect with children's museum professionals and promote their degree programs, research and publications.
Category Cost of Membership New Rate
Effective 1/1/2012
Academic / Research Institution*
$330
$345
*This category is only open to colleges, universities and independently-run research facilities.

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Nonprofit Affiliate Members Nonprofit Affiliate Member Benefits
ACM nonprofit affiliate members represent the diverse range of organizations that support children and families, education and ACM leadership initiatives.
 
Category Cost of Membership New Rate
Effective 1/1/2012
Nonprofit Affiliate Members
$500
$525

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Families    

ACM does not offer a family membership. ACM represents and advocates on behalf of the children's museum field. ACM individual memberships are for people who work in or want to start a children’s museum.

Families that seek membership with ACM Reciprocal Program benefits are encouraged to contact their local children's museum. Click here for a list of current ACM Reciprocal Program museum participants. Please note that while a majority of children's museums do participate in the ACM Reciprocal Program, some do not. Additionally, a few ACM Reciprocal Program Museums restrict member benefits under specific circumstances.

Click here to locate a children's museum.

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Email: acm@ChildrensMuseums.org